Backblaze B2 vs Carbonite: Which Should You Buy?

If you’ve spent any time in the home-lab rabbit hole, you know that “backup” is a loaded term. There is a massive difference between wanting to mirror your workstation’s C: drive and needing a scalable off-site target for several terabytes of NAS data.

I’ve seen too many beginners treat these two categories as interchangeable, only to realize six months later they’ve picked a tool that doesn’t fit their workflow. When comparing Backblaze B2 and Carbonite, you aren’t just choosing between brands; you are choosing between Object Storage and Cloud Backup. One is a building block for your infrastructure; the other is a finished consumer product.

Quick Verdict

If you are…	Buy this
A home-labber with a NAS looking for an S3-style off-site target	Backblaze B2
Someone who wants a set-and-forget backup for their PC	Carbonite

Spec-by-Spec Comparison

Feature	Backblaze B2	Carbonite
Category	Object Storage	Cloud Backup
Type	SaaS	SaaS
Pricing Model	$6/TB/mo	$8/mo
Primary Use Case	S3-style off-site target	Set-and-forget PC backup
NAS Focus	Native / High	None

The Deep Dive: Infrastructure vs. Convenience

Object Storage for the Power User

For those of us running a home server, Backblaze B2 is the clear winner because it functions as object storage. In plain English, this means it behaves like a giant hard drive in the sky that you can plug into your existing backup software via S3-compatible APIs.

The beauty here is the NAS-native nature of the service. If you are already using tools to manage your snapshots and versioning on your local hardware, B2 acts as the perfect “cold” destination for those archives. You pay for what you use ($6/TB/mo), which makes it highly scalable. However, a word of warning: be mindful of egress fees. While putting data in is easy, pulling large amounts of data back out can cost you.

The Set-and-Forget Experience

On the other end of the spectrum, we have Carbonite. This isn’t about building a storage architecture; it’s about peace of mind for your primary workstation. Carbonite is designed as a traditional cloud backup service.

The main draw here is simplicity. It provides unlimited PC backup for a flat monthly fee ($8/mo), which removes the “capacity anxiety” that comes with per-terabyte pricing. If you don’t own a NAS and just want to ensure your documents and photos are safe if your laptop dies, this is the path of least resistance. The trade-off? There is no real focus on NAS integration here. If you try to use this as a backend for a home server, you’ll find it lacks the necessary tools.

Pros & Cons

Backblaze B2

Pros:

• Cheap and Scalable: The per-TB pricing is excellent for large archives.
• NAS-Native: Integrates seamlessly with professional home-lab setups.
• Simple Implementation: Easy to set up as an S3 target.

Cons:

• Egress Fees: You will pay to get your data back out of the cloud.

Carbonite

Pros:

• Unlimited PC Backup: No need to worry about how many gigabytes you are using on your computer.
• Extreme Ease of Use: Truly a “set-and-forget” solution for non-technical users.

Cons:

• No NAS Focus: Not suitable for those looking to backup network-attached storage or server arrays.

Which should you buy?

The decision comes down to where your data lives and how much control you want over the process.

Choose Backblaze B2 if you are managing a home-lab. If you have a NAS and need a reliable, S3-compatible off-site destination for your backups, this is the industry standard for a reason. It gives you the flexibility to use your own backup software while leveraging cheap cloud storage. Just keep an eye on those egress fees if you plan on doing full restores frequently.

Choose Carbonite if you just want your PC backed up without thinking about it. If the term “S3-style target” sounds like gibberish to you and you simply want a flat monthly fee that covers all your computer’s data regardless of size, Carbonite is the way to go.

FAQ

Is Backblaze B2 better for NAS users than Carbonite? Yes. Backblaze B2 is specifically designed as object storage and is NAS-native, whereas Carbonite lacks a focus on NAS environments.

Does Carbonite charge by the terabyte? No, Carbonite offers unlimited PC backup for a flat monthly fee of $8/mo.

What are egress fees in Backblaze B2? Egress fees are charges applied when you move data out of the Backblaze B2 cloud and back to your local hardware.

Which service is easier to set up for a non-technical user? Carbonite is generally considered easier as it is built for “set-and-forget” PC backup, whereas B2 requires you to have a target or software to send the data to.

Our pick for personal cloud storage

Want privacy-first storage without recurring monthly fees? Consider pCloud — it’s EU/Swiss-based with optional zero-knowledge encryption and one-time lifetime plans, a strong value alternative for backing up your own data.